Post office board game

ABSTRACT

A post office game consisting of a playing board having a playing surface with a pair of concentric squares defined thereon, each of the squares consisting of a series of adjacent smaller squares with each of the smaller squares having particular directions to the player imprinted thereon, the game including a single die to determine the number of smaller squares about which the player moves the playing piece, a plurality of player playing pieces, and a plurality of Clerk-Carries Letters and Supervisor Letters to be drawn by a player when the player lands on a square indicating such card after which the player must follow the instructions printed on the card, the winner of the game being the first player to become the Post Master.

United States Patent Dalton Sept. 23, 1975 [54] POST OFFICE BOARD GAME Primary ExaminerDelbert B. Lowe [76] Inventor; Cl T D m B 474 Attorney. Agent, or Firm-Mardcn S. Gordon Watkinsville, Ga. 30677 22 Filed: Feb. 22, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 444,797

A post office game consisting of a playing board having a playing surface with a pair of concentric squares defined thereon, each of the squares consisting of a series of adjacent smaller squares with each of the 2 5 273 34 73 134 273 34 D smaller squares having particular directions to the 5 l] lnt. cl. A63F 3/00 P y imprinted thereon the game including 9 Single [58] Field of Search 273/134 die to determine the number of Smaller Squarcs about which the player moves the playing piece, a plurality [56] References Cited of player playing pieces. and a plurality of Clerk- UNITED STATES PATENTS Carries Letters and Supervisor Letters to be drawn by 7 a I I 7 a player when the player lands on a square indicating g i j such card after which the player must follow the ing 9/1957 ig 271/134 C structions printed on the card, the winner of the game 7 being the first player to become the Post Master.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 86 POST SUPERVISOR LET TEPS 77 MASTER POST SHOOT TWO ON DICE MOVE TO POST MASTER SHOOT ONE ON DICE MOVE TO MASTER PENNSYLVANIA E T T S EE T AVE, CLERK-CAPPIES LE 7 TERS ASSISTANT 78 POST MASTER K MISSISSIPPI 72 TPA/L K 5o 49 48 47 46 J F LOR DA AVE UTA H ,QOAD oL lgglgNlA (DP/4W A (DPAW A SUPEPV/SOP LE T TER L5 T TELEPHONE SUPERVISOR US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,907,300

/MENOUT SICK GO TO TIME CARD GO TO STAMP STOCK ROOM PARCEL POST DELIVER TO I35 GEORGIA AVE GO CHECK THE PROBLEM IN PARCEL POST AREA US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,907,300

' J, 56 SuPEPv/SOP L. E T TEPS SHOOT O/vE O/v O/cE MOvE TO POST MASTEP SHOOT TWO ON DICE MOvE TO POST MASTER PE/ YLVAM/A g gg gg CLERK-CAPR/ES LE T 25 ASS/STA/vT 7 POST MASTEP M/SS/SS/PP/ K 72 TPA/L I l' I -J 4 FLOR/DA AvE. UTAH ,QOAD j CL IEC JTZNIA (DPAW A (OPAWA SuPEPv/SOP LE T T8? SuPEPv/SOP E T 75/?) TELEPHONE SUPERVISOR POST OFFICE BOARD GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to games and more particularly to games of the board game type intended to be played by two through six players in a fun and entertaining manner.

2. Description of the Prior Art Board games of various types and configurations and rules are known in the art, with such games achieving various levels of success among the consuming public depending upon the structure and intended play of the game. Most of such games are directed to individuals of a particular age or require a special skill or expertise on the part of the individuals playing the game so that it is quite difficult for individuals of a range of ages and skills to successfully compete in an entertaining and fun manner without experiencing boredom on the part of the players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies and disadvantages that are now attendant upon the playing of presently available board type games in that the present invention provides a novel game board structured after post office procedures and in which players of various ages and skills may compete on an equal basis due to the nature of the game and the intended manner of play of the same.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a board game suitable for playing as a family game by all members of various ages of a family unit without any of such members becoming bored or losing interest during the play of the game.

A further feature of the present invention provides a board game which is relatively simple in its construc tion and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple manufacturing methods.

Still a further feature of the present invention provides a post office board game which is possessed of few parts and which therefore is unlikely to get out of order; and one which is of a rugged and durable construction and which therefore may be guaranteed by the manufacturer to provide many years of intended usage.

Yet still a further feature of the present invention provides a post office board'game which is easy to use and which can be retailed at a sufficiently low price to encourage its widespread purchase in the game market.

Other features an advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following descriptlon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. I is a top plan view of the game board of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a plurality of playing pieces:

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a die used in the play of the game;

(ill

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the stack of Supervisor Letters;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a stack of Clerk- Carries Letters;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of exemplary Supervisor Letters; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of exemplary Clerk- Carries Letters,

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the game board of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail there is illustrated a preferred form of a-post office game constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention and designated generally in its entirety by the reference numeral 80 and which is comprised of a game board 81, a plurality of playing pieces 82, a cubeshaped die 83, a plurality of Supervisor Letters 84.. and a plurality of Clerk-Carries Letters 85.

The game board 81 maybe manufactured out of metal. wood, hard rubber, plastic, cardboard. or any other suitable satisfactory material with the preferred embodiment being manufactured of a heavy gauge cardboard backing having a playing surface 86 formed on the top thereof in the form of printing directly on the heavy gauge cardboard. oralternatively. the playing surface may be printed on a sheet of paper which is then affixed to the top surface of the cardboard backing through use of a suitable adhesive cement. The game board is preferably 24 inches square and is adapted to fold in half along center line 87 for ease of transportation and storage of the game board.

The face surface 86 of the game board is provided with playing spaces labeled by reference numerals I-77 with each of these playing spaces or squares having particular directions to the player imprinted thereon. such directions and information being as follows:

IPostal Assistant (START) 2-Work in City Distribution Case 3Washington Dr.

4Pick up mail on Virginia Ave.

5Oregon Ave. 1

6Cancel Machine (Draw a Clerk-Carries letter) 7Alaska Way I 8Go to full time Regular. Do not draw Letter. 9Hawaiian Lane 10Work at stamp window (Move up one space) llRhode Island Way I l2Part time flexible.(Draw a Clerk-Carries letter) 13Connecticut Way l4Parcel Post place Area l5Vermont Ave.

I6-RCCIV Suggestions Award (move to Supervisor) l7()hio Valley l8Put up City Scheme (Draw a Clerk-Carries letter) I9Tennessee Way 2()Fasten your Seat Belt 2lNorth Carolina Mall 22Virginia Ave 23Full time Regular (Draw a Clerk-Carries letter) 24Flat Tire. Lose one Turn 25Nebraska Place 26Work in box section (Draw a Clerk-Carries letter) 27Forgot to Fasten your seat belt (Go back two spaces) 28Georgia Ave 29-Maine Street 30New Mexico Drive 31-Work up primary mail (Swap places with Supervisor in Blue Block) 3 2--Missouri Lane 33Registered Room 34Expediter (Draw a Clerk-Carries letter) 35-Unload Star Route True 36New York Ave 37Put up State Scheme (Draw A Clerk-Carries letter) 38Michigan St. v

39You just made Supervisor (Move to Blue Block) 40-Arizona Court I 4l Work up SCF mails (Draw a Clerk-Carries letter) 42Minnesota Height 43Work up second and third class mail 44South Dakota Mall 45Supervisor (Blue Colored Block) 46California Place 47-Telephone 48--Utah Road (Draw a Supervisor letter) 49-Mississippi Trail 50Florida Ave. (Draw a Supervisor letter) 51-New Jersey Height 52Carry truck broke down. Go to Maine Street 53Louisiana Street 54Poor Housekeeping 55Delaware Rd. (Draw a Supervisor letter) 56-Swap Place with Assistant Post Master in red Blockv 57Illinois Ave.

58'Wyoming Ave.

59-Superintendent of mails (Draw a Supervisor lctter) 60Oklahoma Drive 6lMaryland Height (Draw a Supervisor letter) 62Time Card and Clock 63Alabama Boulevard 64-South Carolina Mall (Draw a Supervisor letter) 65Stamps Stock Room I 66Fire Extinguisher 67Kentucky Ave.

68-Box Section 69lowa Place (Draw a Supervisor letter) 70West Virginia Drive 7l-You just made assistant Post Master (Move to Red Block) 72Colorado Street 73-Assistant Post Master [Red Colored Block] 74Pennsylvania Ave.

75-Shoot two on die move to Post Master 76Shoot one on die move to Post Master 77-Post Master It is to be noted that playing squares l44 define an outer perimeter border about the playing surface 86,

with playing squares 45-72 defining an inner concen tric square on the playing surface. The playing squares 73-76 are diagonally disposed intermediate squares 45 and 59 and lead to imprinted circle 77 which is where the winner is declared by the first player to reach this circle. Disposed adjacent square 52 is a rectangular imprint designated by reference numeral 78 and which represents the area on the playing surface 86 on which the Clerk-Carries Letters are to be placed in a facedown stack. Disposed adjacent playing square 66 is a rectangular imprint designated by reference numeral 79 and which represents the area on the playing surface 86 on which the Supervisor Letters stack of cards is to be placed face-down.

. The playing pieces 82 may be of any desired shape and configuration as long as the base thereof does not extend out of the boundaries of any one of the playing sq uares, with the preferred playing pieces each being of a substantially flat disc shape such as represented by reference numeral 88 with each disc having a face surface 89 on which is marked identifying indicia 90 for ease in identifying the individual players playing pieces. In this regard it is to be appreciated that such player identification may also be accomplished by having each of the playing pieces 82 of a different color, a different shape, or any combination thereof. Further, it is preferred that a total number of six playing pieces be provided and that the game of this invention is intended to be played by a minimum of two and a maximum of six players.

The die 83 is of a standard shape and configuration having each side designated by different numbers or number indicating indicia ranging from the numbers 1 through 6 in the conventional manner.

The Supervisor Letters 84 are each of a flat rectangular configuration having a back surface 91 and a face surface 92, each of the back surfaces imprinted with the identifying indicia Supervisor Letters. with each of the face surfaces having different information imprinted thereon for use by the players during the play of the game. A total number of 24 Supervisor Letters 84 are provided with there being a total of eight instructions such that each instruction is repeated on three different Supervisor Letters. The instructions on the Supervisor Letters 84 are as follows:

Take stamp stock room inventory. Go to stamp stock room.

Firejust broke out in the supply room. Go to Fire Extinguisher. Poor housekeeping provide the fuel to support fire.

Go to Poor Housekeeping.

Supervision from another post office in your code area call to tell you the star route truck going to be 15 minutes late. Go to Telephone.

Box rent is due put notice in box section. Got to box section.

Men out sick. Go to time card.

Go check mail on Mississippi Trail. Flood water is up.

You just made Assistant Post Master.

You just made Superintendent of Mail Cancel machine broke down. Go to Cancel Machine.

The Clerk-Carries Letters 85 are each of a flat rectangular configuration having a back surface 93 and a face surface 94, each of the back surfaces being identical and imprinted with the identifying indicia Clerk Carries Letters" with each of the face surfaces imprinted with instructions to the players. There is a total of 24 Clerk-Carries Letters 85 provided with each instruction being repeated on two separate Letters. the instructions being as follows:

You did not make safety check of your assigned vehicle. Go back three spaces.

You did not turn in Registered mail before you began unloading ordinary mail from your vehicle. Go back five spaces.

to Mr. Brown on Tennes Deliver a Certified letter to Mrs JonesonyOhio Valley. Special delivery to Mall. Deliver an Insured Package on- Oregon Avenue. Parcel Post, deliver to 135 Georgia Avenue. I Go to Registered room and dispatch three Registered Letters. V v v v .Go check the problem in the Parcel postarea. You just made Supervisor. goto Blue Colored Block. In the play of the game. each player selects aplaying lVlr. 52 Mrs. Lord on South Dakota piece 82 and places the same on playing square l.which is entitled Postal Assistant (START); The players then roll thedie 83 with the player getting the highest number being that-player who goes first. with successive playersdetermined by thesuccessivehigh numbers on the die. The general rule for playing the game is that the players will follow the instructions printed on any of the playing squares or spaces l77 each time they land on any of such squares as they make their way toward winning circle 77. A player rolls the die to determine the number of squares to move his playing piece. after which the player moves the playing piece the indicated number of aquares and then follows the directions printed on that square on which the player lands As the play progresses. each person in turn rolls the die and moves his playing piece about the game board 81. When an instruction on one of the playing squares indicates that a Supervisor Letter 84 or a Clerk-Carries Letter 85 is to be drawn. the player then draws the top card from the stack. follows the instructions printed thereon. and then returns the card to the bottom of the stack in a face-down manner.

The blue colored block playing square 45 is designated as the Supervisor block and when a player swaps place with any and all playing pieces in the blue block then the playing pieces they swap with will take the position of the other playing piece. ln other words, it is a swap of one position for the other position of the playing pieces. Similarly. playing square 73 is designated as the red colored block of the Assistant Post Master and when any players swap playing pieces with those playing pieces disposed in such red block then such disposed playing pieccs will occupy such other playing squares. Again. this is. in other words. a swap of positions of playing pieces.

The goal of the game is to become the Post Master which is achieved by a player following the appropriate directions and steps about the game board and terminating in circle 77. at which time such player is determined to be the winner and the game is over.

It is thus seen that the game may be played by a variety of players having a variety of skills and expertise and being of differing ages thus making the game well suited for a family type game as it is a matter of luck as to determining the winner of the game.

lt is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a pre ferred example of the same. and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size. and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or, the scope of the sub-joined claims.

I claim:

l. A post office board game apparatus "adapted to be played by a plurality of players operating in turn ithe apparatus comprising in combination:

a flatarectangularly shaped playing board having a playing surface defined .on a base surface thereof;

first series of playing squares disposedabout the perimeterlofithe playing surface in side-by-siderelationship; to define a border of contiguous playing squares thereabout. there being 12 playing squares disposed along. each edge of said playing surface;

z usecond series ofplaying squares identical in size and configurationto said first series of playing squares-and disposed inwardly of s-aid'first series of playing squares to define a square pattern disposed concentric with-said first series of playing squares and spaced inwardly therefrom. there'being eight playing'squares disposed along each side of the'sec- 0nd series square pattern;

a series of four playing squares identical in size to the first and second series of playing squares extending diagonally through the center of said inner square pattern and having an entrance end and an exit end; i

a finishing circle having one edge formed contiguous with the exit end ofthe diagonally disposed squares in alignment therewith and defining the finishing position for playing of the game;

plurality of distinguishable playing pieces each intended to be utilized by one of the players during the play of the game;

a single playing die defining a chance device to determine the number of playing squares a player is to move his individual playing piece on any turn of the player;

a first and second stack of a plurality of identically sized and configured playing cards. each stack intended to be positioned in an area inwardly of the inner square pattern on opposite sides of the diagonally disposed playing squares in appropriate areas marked therefor on the face surface of the playing board;

said first stack of cards consisting of a plurality of Supervisor Letters each of a flat rectangular configuration having a back surface and a face surface. each of said surfaces being identical and having identifying indicia reading Supervisor Letters" imprinted thereon and each of said face surfaces having an instruction imprinted thereon for the player taking said card to follow. such instructions being for the player to move his individual playing piece forwardly or rearwardly along the playing squares to a specific square thereon as indicated by the card picked by the player;

said second stack of cards each being of a flat rectangular configuration having identical back surfaces and a face surface. each of said back surfaces having identifying indicia reading Clerk-Carries Lctters imprinted thereon. and each face surface having an instruction imprinted thereon to be followed by the player upon the picking of such card. such instruction being for the player to move his playing piece forwardly or rearwardly along the playing squares to a particular square as designated on the picked card before the play of the game continues; indicia imprinted on certain of the playing squares requiring that a players playing piece occupying one of such squares must pick one of the cards from the stack of Supervisor Letters;

indicia carried by certain of the playing squares requiring that a players playing piece occupying such square must pick one of the cards from the stack of Clerk-Carries Letters cards;

a distinctively colored playing square forming one of the squares of the second series of playing squares positioned in a corner thereof and identified as the Supervisor square;

a second distinctively colored square disposed at the entrance end of the diagonally disposed playing squares and forming one of such squares and identified as the Assistant Post Master square;

indicia carried by certain of the squares preceding the identified Supervisor square requiring that a players playing piece occupying such square immediately move forward to the Supervisor square as a bonus to such player;

indicia carried by certain of the playing squares disposed between the Supervisor square and the Assistant Post Master square requiring that a players playing piece occupying such square immediately move forward to the Assistant Post Master square as a bonus to such player; and

the circular playing position disposed at the exit end of the diagonally disposed series of playing squares being marked as Post Master with the first player 10 reaching this position becoming the winner of the game.

2. The board game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by each of said playing pieces being a substantially flat circular discshaped member having a top surface and a bottom surface and having a diameter less than the width and height of the playing squares such that the playing piece is completely received within any one of these squares to indicate the player position on the playing surface; and means progu viding identifying indicia on each of the playing pieces for use by each player in distinguishing his particular respective playing piece from the playing piece of any other player. 

1. A post office board game apparatus adapted to be played by a plurality of players operating in turn, the apparatus comprising in combination: a flat rectangularly shaped playing board having a playing surface defined on a base surface thereof; a first series of playing squares disposed about the perimeter of the playing surface in side-by-side relationship to define a border of contiguous playing squares thereabout, there being 12 playing squares disposed along each edge of said playing surface; a second series of playing squares identical in size and configuration to said first series of playing squares and disposed inwardly of said first series of playing squares to define a square pattern disposed concentric with said first series of playing squares and spaced inwardly therefrom, there being eight playing squares disposed along each side of the second series square pattern; a series of four playing squares identical in size to the first and second series of playing squares extending diagonally through the center of said inner square pattern and having an entrance end and an exit end; a finishing circle having one edge formed contiguous with the exit end of the diagonally disposed squares in alignment therewith and defining the finishing position for playing of the game; a plurality of distinguishable playing pieces each intended to be utilized by one of the players during the play of the game; a single playing die defining a chance device to determine the number of playing squares a player is to move his individual playing piece on any turn of the player; a first and second stack of a plurality of identically sized and configured playing cards, each stack intended to be positioned in an area inwardly of the inner square pattern on opposite sides of the diagonally disposed playing squares in appropriate areas marked therefor on the face surface of the playing board; said first stack of cards consisting of a plurality of Supervisor Letters each of a flat rectangular configuration having a back surface and a face surface, each of said surfaces being identical and having identifying indicia reading ''''Supervisor Letters'''' imprinted thereon and each of said face surfaces having an instruction imprinted thereon for the player taking said card to follow, such instructions being for the player to move his individual playing piece forwardly or rearwardly along the playing squares to a specific square thereon as indicated by the card picked by the player; said second stack of cards each being of a flat rectangular configuration having identical back surfaces and a face surface, each of said back surfaces having identifying indicia reading ''''Clerk-Carries Letters'''' imprinted thereon, and each face surface having an instruction imprinted thereon to be followed by the player upon the picking of such card, such instruction being for the player to move his playing piece forwardly or rearwardly along the playing squares to a particular square as designated on the pIcked card before the play of the game continues; indicia imprinted on certain of the playing squares requiring that a player''s playing piece occupying one of such squares must pick one of the cards from the stack of Supervisor Letters; indicia carried by certain of the playing squares requiring that a player''s playing piece occupying such square must pick one of the cards from the stack of Clerk-Carries Letters cards; a distinctively colored playing square forming one of the squares of the second series of playing squares positioned in a corner thereof and identified as the Supervisor square; a second distinctively colored square disposed at the entrance end of the diagonally disposed playing squares and forming one of such squares and identified as the Assistant Post Master square; indicia carried by certain of the squares preceding the identified Supervisor square requiring that a player''s playing piece occupying such square immediately move forward to the Supervisor square as a bonus to such player; indicia carried by certain of the playing squares disposed between the Supervisor square and the Assistant Post Master square requiring that a player''s playing piece occupying such square immediately move forward to the Assistant Post Master square as a bonus to such player; and the circular playing position disposed at the exit end of the diagonally disposed series of playing squares being marked as ''''Post Master'''' with the first player reaching this position becoming the winner of the game.
 2. The board game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by each of said playing pieces being a substantially flat circular disc-shaped member having a top surface and a bottom surface and having a diameter less than the width and height of the playing squares such that the playing piece is completely received within any one of these squares to indicate the player position on the playing surface; and means providing identifying indicia on each of the playing pieces for use by each player in distinguishing his particular respective playing piece from the playing piece of any other player. 